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Orycteropus

Reunion Island Dodo, Raphus solitarius, Natural History Museum, London

A close relative of the Mauritius Dodo, the Reunion Island Dodo is known only from pictorial records. Photo taken August 2008.

Reunion Island Dodo, Raphus solitarius, Natural History Museum, London
Orycteropus, 13 Feb 2009
    • Orycteropus
      A close relative of the Mauritius Dodo, the Reunion Island Dodo is known only from pictorial records.

      Photo taken August 2008.
      13 Feb 2009
    • Chlidonias
      Raphus solitarius probably never existed. A large flightless ibis (extinct) from Reunion now bears the name Threskiornis solitarius. It is generally thought that this ibis is probably what the reported 'dodo' on the island actually were (and paintings of the 'dodo' were works of imagination based on the Mauritius dodo)
      16 Feb 2009
    • Orycteropus
      I did not check what is the history/origin of this species name, what I wrote is readable in the information table at the museum. Anyway, thanks for the info ...
      16 Feb 2009
    • Sun Wukong
      20 Feb 2009
    • Hix
      If the Reunion Solitaire was an ibis - then what is that mounted specimen in the photo, 'cause that sure ain't no ibis!
      20 Feb 2009
    • Chlidonias
      all the dodo specimens in museums are faked, made of (usually) chicken feathers on a model body. There are no real mounted dodo left any more
      20 Feb 2009
    • DavidBrown
      Were there mounted dodos that were destroyed somehow?

      Are there at least a few real mounted dodo skeletons?
      27 Oct 2011
    • Chlidonias
      yes there were real mounted/stuffed dodo at one time but stuffed animals have a limited lifespan, especially those from earlier days (techniques are better now, hence the term mounted rather than stuffed) and all fell victim to decay. The last real dodo in a museum was part of a collection at the Ashmolean Museum which was ordered burned in around 1775 because they were in such an advanced state of decay. This bird had been brought alive to England around 1600. Only the head and one foot were saved and these are now in the Natural History Museum in London.

      There are many skeletal remains of dodos, mostly from subfossil deposits on Mauritius, but few are articulated or even complete. Those seen in museums are mostly casts.
      28 Oct 2011
    • Tim May
      The head and the right foot of the Ashmolean museum dodo, that were salvaged from the flames, are actually in the Zoology Museum of Oxford University.
      28 Oct 2011
    • Chlidonias
      yes you are quite right. I was getting my museums mixed up.
      28 Oct 2011
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  • Category:
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    Orycteropus
    Date:
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